Before we left Apalachicola we stopped to photograph some of the grand homes along the gulf shore in the morning sun. Picture wide wrap around verandas with rockers and porch swings.

Then it was a slow meandering drive down to Seaside for a prearranged meet up with An Sokolovska, one of Harry’s Peet’s Coffee buddies who is vacationing in this area. We had a good lunch overlooking the gulf and she got to show us around the area. She is staying at the Hibiscus Guest House in Grayton Beach just down the road. It’s a charming and funky place that oozes with old Florida charm.

Seaside was the setting for the film “The Truman Show” an apt location since they wanted to portray a utopian community by the sea. Its rules and regulations called for all homes to have front porches of a certain width and distance from the mandatory white picket fence to facilitate conversations between those strolling and those on their porches. Of course, folks wanting privacy built secluded back porches and the front porches stand empty. The hoped for community of with varying income levels has given way to those who consider Seaside “one” of their residences. The basic idea, however, still serves as a model for countless other communities

After leaving An we found that the strength to drive any great distances had waned and we stopped about an hour down the road in Destin.